The present invention relates to the maintenance operations and the functional tests performed in aircraft and more particularly to a method and a device for securely automating the procedures for verifying equipment items in an aircraft from a remote station, on the assembly line or during operation of the aircraft, by using the on-board information system as well as its topology.
To optimize the reliability of aircraft and to increase their profitability, on-line maintenance operations are frequently employed between the phases of flight.
In general, such operations consist, for example, in the case of maintenance operators, in verifying the hardware and software configuration of the aircraft systems, in analyzing the data stored in memory during the flight (continuous monitoring), in modifying certain aircraft parameters or certain software data, in launching test software applications and/or in checking the change of software configuration following a downloading operation.
The analyzed data are often obtained from transducers and stored in memory in a central diagnosis and storage device accessible via a man-machine interface of MCDU (initials for Multi-Control Display Unit in English terminology) or OMT (initials for Onboard Maintenance Terminal in English terminology) type. This interface, via which interactive operations can be launched, makes it possible to analyze data stored in memory, to access parameters of the aircraft and more generally to execute test and maintenance functions. By way of illustration, the Airbus A320, A330 and A340 are equipped with MCDUs and the Airbus A380 is equipped with an OMT (Airbus, A320, A330, A340 and A380 are trademarks).
Access to the maintenance systems of the aircraft is generally limited to fixed physical stations installed on board in the cockpit. Thus, when the aircraft is on the ground, a maintenance operator is able to board the aircraft to access and analyze the data stored in memory, to modify the parameters thereof if necessary and to launch test applications.
In order to ensure optimized sequencing of tasks, the current devices generally require the continuous presence of an operator to verify that the operations are being conducted properly.
Alternatively, mobile stations are being used to respond to an increasing demand of the airline companies in order to shorten the time for on-line maintenance operations. Such stations, whose function is similar to that of the interfaces of MCDU or OMT type, are connected to the central diagnosis and storage device via connection ports connected to the network of the aircraft.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an aircraft 100 comprising a central diagnosis and storage device 105 connected via a communication interface (not illustrated) to a fixed on-line maintenance station 110 installed in the cockpit.
Device 105 is connected to all systems of the aircraft that generate maintenance messages, for example to control transducers (not illustrated) of the engines and to actuators of the landing gear and control surfaces.
Thus, when aircraft 100 is on the ground, a maintenance operator is able, with the aid of fixed station 110, to analyze the flight data of the aircraft and to modify the parameters thereof.
Although this solution meets the expectations of the airline companies, it is necessary to use a hard-wired link between an aircraft and a station to achieve on-line maintenance operations. Such a constraint has the effect in particular of prolonging the duration of maintenance operations and consequently increasing the costs of operating the aircraft.
To alleviate these disadvantages, there exist diagnosis systems that use a wireless communication technology, wherein the data obtained from transducers can be transmitted directly to the mobile on-line maintenance station. For example European Patent 1306305 discloses a system in which the transducers are connected to data storage and transmission devices. In this way, a mobile station is able to obtain flight data on request.
However, such a system is limited to accessing data without permitting modification of the parameters of an aircraft, and it necessitates the use of several storage and transmission devices.
Similarly, during assembly of the aircraft, the final assembly line teams rely on interactive maintenance tools to achieve all or part of the functional tests of the aircraft and configuration tracking throughout the manufacturing process until delivery of the aircraft.
However, despite the performances of the maintenance stations, means for automating certain tests do not exist.
In fact, although certain maintenance stations installed on board aircraft can be connected to a communication network for exchange of data between the aircraft and remote equipment, the network connection does not permit remote control of the applications implemented on board the aircraft or transmission of data to these applications, for security reasons.